Why Aren't Distressed Assets Selling
'First movers' will be positioned to extract the most value from the acquisition of generation infrastructure.
Finance
People
New Hires:
New Hires:
The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) promoted Dave Nevius to senior vice president; David Cook to vice president and general counsel; and Don Benjamin to vice president. Nevius has been a vice president at NERC since 1986; Cook has been NERC's general counsel since 1999; and Benjamin has been director of operations since 1985.
Ameren Corp. named Martin J. Lyons vice president. Lyons has been the company's controller since joining Ameren in October 2001.
In Search of... Transmission Capitalists
Facing a cash crunch, transmission owners look for new funding sources.
Competition Lost
U.S. companies' international strategies turn sour, as Europe faces a future with an oligopoly of power companies.
U.S. companies' international strategies turn sour, as Europe faces a future with an oligopoly of power companies.
While the European Union is pushing to give all industrial and commercial customers electric choice by 2004, giant incumbent European utilities are increasingly dominating power markets across Europe and the United Kingdom.
Fashionably Retro
Why rate base is back in style.
It's no surprise that traditional utilities are now fashionable with Wall Street. With merchant generation and energy trading gone bust, bankers, analysts, and fund managers at the 37th Edison Electric Institute Financial Conference, held last month in Palm Springs, Calif., were falling over themselves to find those regulated gems overlooked during the energy merchant boom years.
Cut the Pay-Out, Boost the Buy-Back?
The pros and cons of dividend pay-out reductions and stock repurchase programs in uncertain economic times.
The pros and cons of dividend pay-out reductions and stock repurchase programs in uncertain economic times.
The Dow Jones Utility Average currently stands at its lowest level in five years. Electric and gas utilities, along with U.S. companies generally, have been consistently lowering their payout ratios over the past several years, and that downward trend is projected to continue. What do these facts portend for utility investors in the near future?
Bursting The Bubble
Merchants' trading volumes and revenue are still too inflated.
In the post-Enron world, many continue to question the legitimacy of the practice of inflating revenues through the trading business to bolster the company's financial picture.
The Perils of Ignoring Mother Nature
Experts say utilities' inconsistent approach to weather risk is costing them dearly.
Since their creation, energy companies have been powerless to defend themselves against the weather’s financial impact on business. No longer. An overview of what weather risk management has achieved.
People (May 15, 2002)
Dr. Janice A. Beecher has been named director of the Institute of Pubic Utilities at Michigan State University. Calpine announced several promotions to its senior management team. Alliant Energy also announced several new appointments. And others ...
Frontlines
Energy companies' best-laid plans in 2001 were put on hold, after circumstance and fate stepped in.
Frontlines
The Year of Living Dangerously